Category C agents are a classification of emerging pathogens that are considered potential threats for future widespread dissemination. These agents are identified for their availability, ease of production and spread, and their potential to cause significant public health impact, including high rates of illness and death. They represent emerging infectious diseases that are also potential bioterrorism threats.
Specific Category C Agents
Currently, the agents classified as Category C include a diverse group of viruses and bacteria, each posing unique challenges due to their characteristics and potential effects.
The following table details the specific agents designated as Category C:
| Agent Name | Type | Key Characteristics and Impact |
|---|---|---|
| Nipah virus | Virus | A paramyxovirus that causes severe, often fatal, encephalitis (brain inflammation) and respiratory illness. It is naturally transmitted from animals (like fruit bats and pigs) to humans. |
| Hantavirus | Virus | A family of viruses primarily carried by rodents. Infection in humans can lead to severe and potentially fatal conditions such as Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS), characterized by respiratory failure, or Hemorrhagic Fever with Renal Syndrome (HFRS). |
| Tick-borne hemorrhagic fever viruses | Viruses | A group of viruses transmitted by ticks that can cause severe bleeding disorders. These infections can lead to fever, muscle aches, and significant internal or external bleeding, often with high fatality rates. |
| Tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) virus complex | Viruses | Viruses transmitted by ticks that cause inflammation of the brain (encephalitis) or its protective membranes (meningitis). Symptoms can range from mild flu-like illness to severe neurological damage and death. |
| Yellow fever | Virus | An acute viral hemorrhagic disease transmitted by infected mosquitoes. It can cause fever, muscle pain, headache, nausea, vomiting, and jaundice (yellowing of the skin and eyes), and in severe cases, leads to widespread bleeding and organ failure. |
| Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) | Bacterium | A form of tuberculosis caused by bacteria that are resistant to at least two of the most potent anti-TB drugs, isoniazid and rifampicin. MDR-TB is significantly more difficult and longer to treat than drug-susceptible TB, posing a major global health threat. |
Significance of Category C Agents
The classification of these agents as Category C highlights their importance in public health preparedness and research. Due to their emerging nature and potential for widespread impact, ongoing surveillance, research into diagnostics, treatments, and vaccines, and public health interventions are crucial to mitigate their threat. Their characteristics make them subjects of concern for future health emergencies.
